Apparatus for developing or intensifying photographic plates.



L. n. Nasm. APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING 0R INTENSIFYING PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 19M.

w 7 W i s 4 n 2 -w 0 Z 7 6 6 .muA

ESB/7" L. D. NESBIT.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING 0R INTENSIFYIaNG PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES.

APPLICATiON FILED DEC. 29, 1914. Lw. Patented July 10, 1917. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 rfv-pena Y :tenor n. Nastri'. or Los ANGELES, cnmroam.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING R XN'IENSIFYING`PHOTOGRPHIC PLATES.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, LEROY D. Nnsrr, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Los v Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a lnew and useful Improvement inApparatus for Developing or Intensifying Photographic Plates, of which the following is a specification.

l@ This invention relates `to apparatus for tus as above described with means that also permit the washing of the plates between the developing or intensifying solutions, the water being automatically operated bythe plate dipper.

automatically lower and raise the plates arid to shift the plates when the carriage is in the elevated position, together with means to A balance the carriage so that no strain will come u on the mechanism.

It is also an object to agitate the plates while immersed in the baths and while washing for a period as required, this period being so arranged that it may be varied for each immersion and washing or all may have their period the same.

It is a further object to provide mechanically operated means to control the clutch mechanism which is constantly driven by a -suitable motor, the carriage lifting mechanism being so arranged that when in the upward position or elevated, the continued -movment of the lifting screws throws the clutch and reverses the movement, at the same time shifting the plates on the carriage a determined distance for the next bath or washing.

Tt is a further object to provide an'auxiliary stationary track upon which a supply of dippers with the plates clamped thereon may be placed at any time in the operation of themachine.

It is a still further obj ect to provide means to separate the valuable washings and recover the salts of silver commonly lost.

In the drawings accompanying this specification; l

Figure 1 is a front elevation, the legs of -Spe'eication ot Letters Patent.

Patented July Ml, 19T?.

Application led December 2B, 1914. Serial No. 879,468.

the sink being broken away aswell as a portion of the sink to more clearly show the tanks andy washing mechanism. 1g. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l looklng in the direction' of the arrow t0 60 slliow the pause and. reversing mechanism in p an.

Fig. is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.

1. showlng most of the apparatus in eleva-- tion. l V I Fig. 4 is a detail-of thetwo tracks from therear showing the moving bar engaging a pper ]ust before shifting the same to the main track. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of 70 the dipper shifting bar, engaging a dipper, the pause producing bar being shown in i -Fig., 6 from the front and 1n the companion position to the shifting bar in Fig. 5, the figures from 4 to l() being on the same 75 scale. It is also an object to provlde means vto Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the trip bar for reversing the clutch, the pawls shown with the drive elevating the carriage.

Fig. 8 1s a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 80

f2 .viewed in the direction of the arrow, the

mit being engaged with the screw.

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the ratchet mechanism for controlling the action of the spring actuated return of the pause bar. 85

Fig. 10 .is a plan of the elevation shown inI Fig. 9and Fig. 11 is a detail of the gate on the dip portion of the elevating and loweringscrew.

Heretofore in making negatives by the wet plate method for process work the necessary developing, 'xing and intensiiication has been done by pouring the chemicals from bottles onto the plates, back into the bottles and washing under a water faucet. This is a tedious andcostly method requiring the time of the operator together with a great loss of chemicals and an excess of water.

This invention overcomes the objections as n oted above and provides a fixing and in-- 10o tenslication apparatus that. is automatic in its action and requires no manual attention after having been regulated. The combined lowering, agitating, raisingl and advancing' movements Imay be varied by the speed of the motor, and the pause 'and accompanying l agitation by the automatic pause mechanism. An auxiliary track is also provided so that the plates clamped to their dippers may be introduced to the machine at" any time, the 11o apparatus shown being designed to give a. xing, double intensification and bleachlng action. with the re uired Washings. Any .number o operators may use the same machine, sending the plates through the process as fast as the advancingmeans will allow, the plate dippers with their plates being stored up over the large water tank at `the end and kept wet by each downward movement and dip until removal from the machine. v

The washings after each immersion in the costly solutions of silver are separated from the other waste ywaters and piped to precipitating tanks, thus p rovidin great econ-Y omy and soon saving the cost o the apparatus as well asia saving in labor together with a more efficient and uniform operation and result. Y

'More specifically in the drawings, 7 designates the sinkortank within which the solution tanks are preferably su ported, this sink being shown as 'common y madel of plank. and supported from the floor by legs 8-8. The main frame ofthe apparatus i-s preferably secured to the back 9 of the sink and as shown is composed of sections of pipe 10 to 16 vertically su ported a suitable distance from the back 9 y the brackets or bearings 17,. 18 these brackets being of metal. y

Supported in the sink and preferably at right'angles to'the front wall and spaced a definite distance apart are-'a plurality of narrow vertical tanks 20," adapted to hold the solutions lfor the purposesdesignated, the' equally spaced distance between each pair, being closed by the apertured side walls 21 as desired through the upper apertures of which project the perforated hori-l zontally disposed spraying pipes 22, two being shown on the film side with their 'openings facing inward, each set being joined to anl upright 23 in which is mounted a butterfly valve 24 operated by a balanced.

lever 25, the balancing weight 26 being on the opposite end from that having the finger 27 -`which extends into the path of the plate 28 clamped on the dipper 29, and is operated by the lower inclined edge of dipper foot 30, this'inclination also serving to induce a rapid drip for the solutions adhering to the plate after withdrawal. The plates rest on the foot 30 and are clamped to the dipper by a sliding clamp 38, the-'film side! away from the frame of the dipper and to the right.l

The uprights 10 to 16 are .preferably joined at their upper ends by a bar 3 1 to form the bearings for the shafts 32 and 33 and the sheaves 39 to carry the chains A130 secured to the carriage frames and the balancing weight 131, this weight bein guided by the uprights 12.and 14. The safts 32 and 33 have formed or support on the interjecting `into the parallel screw cuts, the

shafts being'driven in the same direction by suitable connections from the main shaft 40, supported in bearings in the upri hts and preferably in a plane below the sin 7. By this arrangement of the framework the sink may be placed near a wall and the 4front of the apparatus left entirely free, the

ends being practically open also. f

The main shaft 40 is constantly driven through the clutch mounted thereon, by the motor 41 .geared to the jack shaft carrying i the bevel gear 42, which meshes at all times with the bevel gears 43 and 44 loosely clutch which is keyed to the shaft 40.

y From the shaft 40 the shafts 32 and 33 jmounted on the shaft 40, and between which is the oppositely toothed member 45 of the are driven by the bevel gears 46 and 47 respectively on theends of the shaft 40, these gears meshing at all times with the gears 48, 49 on the lower ends of the vertical shaftsysuitable thrust bearings car ing the weight and thrust of these shafts when lifting the carriage frames and the carriage. These frames havearms that extend over the sink and to the central vertical plane of the tanks 20 and support the track 50 to carry the plate holders or dippers, which are adapted to slide upon this track 50;

a continuous lstraight bar of metal rigidly` secured to the arms of the frames below the sliding bars 51 and 52.`

These .bars 51 and 52 are slidably supported in a frame 53 forming part of the carriage .and preferably T slotted, but other means may be provided for reciprocating i the bars the short distance required, or the interval between centers of the tanks 20 v'and the spaces between, which are necessarily of the samelength, the bar 52 bein provided with a series of pluralities 0% pawls, those 54 preferably pivoted on the same pins asv the pawls 109 are'adapted to engage the top of the dipper and one side, to push the dipper the distance equal to xthe center distance above'referred to, these pawls tripping when in the reverse movement or to the right.v

This movementuis produced byJthe gear 5.5 on the shaft 33 engaging with the gear 56 on the shaft 57 revolubly mounted on the frame 36 and. vcarrying the gear 58 that meshes through a slot in the bar 53 with a rack on the bar 52, the motion being to the right on the continued movement of the screw toforce the carriage up, and to the left or engaging movement on the beginning of the movement of the screw to cause immersion.

The bar 51 is provided to regulate .the pause and agitation in the various baths or washings and the interval between each center distance on'the bar is divided by a number of holes in which a pin 59 may be placed from the front and extending .to the rear into the path of the finger 110 on the pawl 109 'on the bar 52, pivoted on the opposite side of the bar from the Lpawl 54 and adapted to rest on the top of the dipper slide when in engagement therewith, when the dipper is being advanced.v rlhe movement of the bar 51 as stated or to the left causes the rack thereon to operate a gear wheel 60 engaged therewith this wheel being keyed' to a shaft 1,23 revolubly mounted lon the frame the other end of the shaft having keyed lthereto the bevel gear 61 engaging at all times with the bevel gear 62 which is adapted to slide upon the squared portion of the shaft 63 mounted parallel the shaft 32 and carrying at the lower end a bevel gear -64 meshing with a bevel gear 65 on the shaft 66 carrying the sprocket wheel 67, the shaft 66 being at right angles to the shaft 40.

To return the bar 51 to the right a pull spring 120 is provided, connected to the bar and the slotted bar'53, and to prevent the pull or movement from eecting the spacing of the bar 52 a ratchet wheel 122 is keyed to the shaft 123, this ratchet being engaged by a pawl C124 having an arm 125 affected by a cam 126 projecting from the bar 52, so arranged that the bar 51 will not advance ahead of the bar 52 or to the right to trip the pawls 54 over the dipper slides to again advance those on the track or bring a dipper from the auxiliary track.

,The sprocket 67 on the shaft 66 carries the chain 69 which in turn is carried over an idler 70, this chain having a fixed finger 71 which is adapted to engage the nut arm 72 when the latter is out of engagement with thel screw 76 and move the arm to the extreme left or Zero of the pause mechanism,

this movement always taking place when the bar 51 is pulled to the right by the spring 120, the movement being limited by the length of the slot through which the pin 128 on the bar 51 projects, the spring 120 being secured to this pin.

The engagement of the arm 72 with its half nut 74 is controlled by the slotted yoke 75 which like the arm 72 is pivoted on the shaft 40 and extends therefrom over the continuously ,driven screw 76 driven by a gear wheel 77 on the bevel gear 44 meshing with a gear 78 keyed to the adjacent spindle of the screw 76.

To oppose the action of the sprocket 67 on the chain and its finger 71 and return the arm to the' right to permit the action giving thegreatest pause a line 80 is secured. to the arm 72 and over a. pulley 81 to a weight 79.

To operate the yoke7 an arm 82 extends vertically from the lleft pivotal bearing of the yoke into the path of a cam 83 having an inclined face and a flat formed or secured to they sliding rod 85 the upper end of which is operated downward byengagement with the .frame 35 a spring 84 return ing the @rod to normal position and the springv suspending the arm 72 and its yoke over the screw 76. `f

1hdjacent this mechanism is the 'reversing The bar or arm 87 encircles the slidable bar 91 and is adapted to engage a pin 129 thereon and to reverse the movement of the rod 91, a rod 92 is provided that is slidably mounted in the path of the stud 93 on the frame 36, so that when the latter is lowered, the inclined cam on the lower end of the rod 92 engages the pin 94 on the slide rod 91 and shifts the same to the right and puts a tensin on the spring 95 secured to the arm of the clutch member 45 so that when the pawl 97 is released the clutch member will shift and the pawl 96 will engage in the fixed notch in the fixed bar 98 which forms a slide for the yoke'arm 99 of the member 45. On the opposite side of the yoke a spring 100 is 'secured to the yoke and the A left arm of the slide 91 that puts a tension on the yoke and pulls the same over when the pawl 96 is tripped by the trip 115 and the pawl 97 locks in its notch.

To trip the pawl 97 at the end of the 'pause or agitation a slide 117 is provided at any time on their holders in position to be moved on to the track 50, the auxiliary track being preferably in a slightly inclined position upward from the track 50 and provided with a slide 103 under tension toward the carriage of the spring 104. On the end toward the carriage is pivoted a double acting pawl 105 the shortest end also I being 'toward the carriage and 'adapted to engage the notched back edge 106 ofjthe .dipper slide, `the opposite end also being cut away sb that-the pawl 54 on the adjacent end of the bar 5 2 can engage a dipper cul-,the track 102 without interfering with the long end of the pawl 105 which is adapted to engage the next dipper, when the forward end is released by the cam 107 on the bar 52, so placed that 108 on the pawl 105.

i The elevating and lowering screws 34 on 'the respective shafts have the u per end of it engages the pin their cuts extended or continue .around in a horizontal plane or it ma be continuous if required and provided with a gate as is the lower end; so-that the carriage remains stationary whilethe bars- 51 and 52 lare reciprocated. The lower end of the cut is conthose after the silver solutions are caught and carried through a drain pipe 140 to a suitable tank while the sides of the washing chambers after the other-baths are cut out.

at 141 andow directly into the sink and out through the waste drain 142.I Water for the overflow tank 143 comes through the main line 144 and is controlled bythe faucet 145'the overflow from the notch 146 enter-- ingthe sink and passing therefrom through the pipe 142.

The movement of one dipper through the machine will now be described the plate bef ing secured as before described and hung on the auxiliary track 102 with the lm side' facing the right and the whole retained in position by the pawl 105. This introduction can take place at any time and with the carriage in the upward'movement as shown in Fig. 1,

when it reaches lthe extreme upward position with the pin 37 in the horizontal cut, the track registersl with the track 102 and `the revolution of the gear 58 through its con- ,nections, slides the bar 52 tothe right acy companied by the bar 51 and the end pawl 54` engages the dipper on the track 102 releasing the sameat the same moment through the cam 107, tripping the pawl 105. The'clutch member 45 is now automat'cally ing engaged theA gear 90 and operated the tri 115 so that the tension on the spring 100 loc s the pawl 97 and the screws are rev versed. This reverses the action of the gear 58 and the bar 52 is moved to the left and carries the dipper over the first, which in l method. shifted to reverse the screws 34, gear 89 hav-ff' the intensification process is lled with a fxativ'e solution of potassium cyanid.

The adjacent pause pawl 109 .has ridden up on the dipper slide as shown in Fig. 5

and the pin is shown in the hole 7 or longest pause so that' the travel of the slide 51 is,

the greatest to the left shifting the finger 71 to the position' shown in Fig. 1 the nut arm beingheld in contact therewith by the weight 79 and as the carriage descends; 1caused by the reversal of the screws 34 as above described,"and contacts with the bar the nut is forced onto the screw 76 and the arm 72 is forced to the left thereon.

About this time the'carriage or rather the l pins 37 thereon' have reached the dip `and the plate is raised and-lowered the depth .of the dip or agitated within the tank,

and a number of times equal to the number -of revolutions of the screws 34 while the nut arm` 72 is traveling to the left, thebar 9 2 having been depressed b the carriage and a tension held on the'spring 95 by the flat on the cam 92 holdin the slide 91 to the right.

When the arm 2 reaches the pin 116 the slide117 is shifted and the in 118 engaged by the cam to lift the pawl 9% and the clutch .member 45 is again shifted, the shafts 32,

33 reversed and the ins 37 ride over the gates in the screws and the carriage is lifted to the elevated position where the gear 58 is again operated and the next pawl 54- rides over the dipper slide, the weight ofthe dipthe pawl, and after assing so as to engage the reversal takes p ace as before and the pause determined by the location of the next pin 59, the dipper is shifted tothe correct position over the washing tank and the downward movement engages the foot 30 to operate -the valve 24 and the vertical dipping or agitating is repeated and the plater eiciently washed, preparatory to the immersion into the next tank, containing a solution of copper sulfate and potassium bromid, a solution of lsilver nitrate completing tanks one intensification, the arrangement o per holding it against the reverse actionof shown providing a double intensification and the necessary washings. The washings from v the two silver baths are segregated as described and preferably subjected to a precipitating action with brine to convert to j the chlorid of silver that can be readily filtered-out and the silver recovered. The percentage of loss by these means is very small and the resultant economy of chemicals and water greatly exceeds any manual Following the last silverwashing an im- 'mersion in a solution of iodin is preferably made to bleach the film on the atory to the final manual clearing -with cyanid. From the washing following the iodin the plate and dipper is Ashifted to the overflow tank 143 and this tank is made large plate preparenough to accommodate a number of plates that may be stored up on thisiend of the carriage.

1. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of a plurality of equally spaced"A tanks, means to automatically immerse a photographic plate in'said tanks 'successively and means to regulate the pecomprising a trough having therein a plu-v dit hill

ralityof vertically disposed and separated tanks dividing the trough into compartments alternating with the tanks, washing means in said compartments, said tanks being adapted to contain chemical solutions, and means for automatically introducmg a plate into said tanks and compartments successively, and advancing said plate from one to the other. i

4f. A photographic intensification apparatus, comprising a plurallty of vertically disposed tanks,'end walls forming chambers intermediate said tanks, perforated washing coils mounted in said chamber, and means for automatically immersing a plate vertically therein successively, 'whereby alternate chemical treatments and washings are glven said plate.

5. A photographic intensifying apparatus, comprising a plurality of parallel tanks having their side walls adjacent, end walls connecting said adjacent side walls of said parallel tanks to form washing tanks, water spraying means mounted in said tanks formed by' said end walls, automatic means to control said spraying means and means to automatically immerse plates in said tanks and operate said control means to subject them` to the action' of said spraying means. i

`6. A photographic intensifying apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically disposed narrow tanks, a plurality of spraying devices interposed intermediate and adjoining said tanks, an elevated carrier suspended over said tanks and spraying devices, and means to automatically subject plates to action successively in and between said tanks.

7. A photographic intensifying apparatus, comprising a series of vert1cally disposed tanks to hold -chemical solutions, water spraying means mounted adjacent said walls of said tanks, a carrier vertically supported in relation to saidtanks and spraying means, a movable plate holding dipper mounted thereon and means to successively said track, and means to .advance said dipper to successively register over one of said tanks or washing means coincidently with the movement of said carriage.

9. A photographic intensifying apparatus comprising a sink a plurality of vertical tanks supported therein, a plurality of washing means interposed between said tanks,

a vertically movable track mounted over said tanks and washi'n means, a plate dipper movably supporte on said track, a reciprocating bar mountedl adjacent said track, means to reciprocate said bar, and pawls on said bar adapted to engage said plate dipper and advance-)the same.

`10. A photographic intensifying apparatus comprising a support a plurality of tanks v mounted adjacent said support, a plurality of washing means interposed between said tanks, a vertically movable track mounted on vsaid support, over said tanks, dippers adapted to engage on said track,'means.to secure plates to said track, means to vertically lower and raise said track, a reciproeating bar mounted adjacent said track,

pawls mounted on said bar, and means to engage said pawls with said dippers to advance the same in one direction upon reciprocation of said bar.

11. A photographic intensification apparatus, comprising a frame, vertically disposedguide rods mounted on said frame, a plurality of tanks adjacent said guide rods, a track slidablv mountedl on said rods a shaft supported on said frame, dippers adapted to slide. on said track, and support plates, a reciprocating hanger operating bar,

, means to reciprocate said bar, means to enldipper operating bar mounted onsaid carrlage, means to operate said bar to shift said dippers, means to lower and raise said f veyed to said carrla e.

carriage, and mechanically operated means to control said carriage and bar operating means. A

' 13. A photographiclplate treating appara- 5 `tus, comprising a sin f, solution and washing tanks supported in said sink, a carriage vertically movable over said tanks, means to support and move lates inrelation to "said carriage, and auxi 'ary means mounted 10 adjacentfsaid carriage whereby a sup ly of plates may be supported thereon an Gon- 14. A photographlc plate treatment apparatus, com rising a plurality of tanks adapted `to old soliitlons -andwashing 1I means, a carriage mounted over said tanks, dippe'rs movably supported on said carriage and mechanical means to lower, a 'tate an raise said carriage so :that plates mounted thereon are immersed agitated and removed 20 from said tanks.

A LEROY 1). NEsBrr. Witnesses: f A. E. ConNwnrL,

R. C. SPRINGER. 

